As you can tell, I have wildly diverging tastes when it comes to cable series. They have become the novels of the new age, and movies...well, they have recently begun to lose their way.
After all, how much plot and character development can be crammed into a 90-minute movie? Not much.
If you are a novelist, or just trying to learn how to tell a good, clean story, a high-quality cable series can be your best schooling. I have eclectic tastes, but I am always looking for powerful story-telling. Sometimes I find it in unexpected places. I loved Fargo.
I also loved Breaking Bad...
And Justified...
The skill that some of the filmmakers, editors, and directors have developed for cutting to the chafe are instructive for writers. How can you tell a story in a few effective images? You see, it's very much like the challenge we face as writers.
The film "Memento" is a brilliant piece of storytelling. After it was made, reams of discussion about it appeared all over the internet. I thought this video,"18-Minute Analysis By Christopher Nolan On Story & Construction Of Memento," was equally instructive for filmmakers as it is for writers.
What do you think?
Not all of us are visual learners. I am. Film has always informed me more than writing in the art of story telling. It might be worth some exploration on your own writing journey.
